HC Deb 24 June 1999 vol 333 cc445-6W
Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many hours HSE inspectors have spent undertaking field inspections of genetically modified trial crop sites for each month since October 1997. [87602]

Mr. Meacher

[holding answer 22 June 1999]Over the period in question, on average, HSE has devoted 75 inspector hours per month to inspection and enforcement on GM trial sites under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1997 (as amended) as required by the agency agreement with DETR. The detailed figures requested are given in the following table, up to April 1999, which is the most recently available information.

Inspection hours
1997
October 58.8
November 75.6
December 92.4
1998
January 105.2
February 79.8
March 86.5
April 71.4
May 56.7
June 132
July 118
August 16.8
September 153.3
October 109.2
November 79.8
December 75.6
1999
January 42.3
February 21
March 0
April 58.8